My week is typically filled with running my daughter to practices and games, preparing and teaching Jazzercise classes, Disney Parks Moms Panel duties, a full-time job, little league treasurer responsibilities and making sure my daughter has food to eat. Our time is spread pretty thin, however, with good time management we can make sure every appointment is kept and every task is completed.



Here are some techniques our family uses which every family can employ to make their time a little easier to manage:


- A good old fashion wall calendar near the main entrance of your home is a great way to keep everyone informed on what is going on as they walk out the door in the morning. Our wall calendar is hanging on the back of the door in the kitchen which leads to the garage. Having it in such a convenient location means it's easy to update and view. The key is to keep it updated. A pretty wall calendar won't do you any good if you don't keep it updated.


- The next trick to manage your time is time blocking. Time blocking is like making an appointment with yourself. Do you have "Thank You" notes to write? Emails to return? A Walt Disney World® vacation to plan? Whatever it is, schedule time to get it done. Write that time on your wall calendar and tell your family. Ask them to respect your need to get your task done with minimal interruptions. Just to be clear, THERE WILL BE INTERRUPTIONS. Make sure you schedule enough time to accommodate those interruptions. If you have an easy task little helpers are always welcome.


- Having a To-Do list will help you better manage your time. I realize this is more of an organizational tool then a time management technique but it's much better to remember something before it is needed then to forget something and have to circle back and get it done. I am one of those people that will forget something two seconds after you tell me if I don't write it down. Having a To-Do list means nothing will fall through the cracks and there is no re-work.


- Outsource, delegate and share. You don't need to be a team mom to be a busy mom. Anytime we can work together to get kids to practice or finish a task we are better off. Create a phone tree of parents on your child's team of people who can help out when needed.


Being a team mom means your free time will be stretched pretty thin. Using these techniques will help alleviate some of that stretch and maybe even give you a little extra time in the day just for you. In my next post I will discuss what to do with all this new found free time while you are at Walt Disney World®. Team Moms need to treat themselves and I can't think of a better place to spend some 'me time' then the most Magical place on Earth.


"See ya real soon!"


Sue is a member of the 2014 Disney Parks Moms Panel representing ESPN Wide World of Sports. She is here to answer your questions and help you plan your team's next trip.